Tacky Man From Eastside Halts Free Broadcast

By Walter Bundtcake, Free Press Contributor

n Tuesday, March 23, a middle aged guy in a tacky nylon jacket with a scanner in his pocket walked into a business adjacent to where Free Seattle Radio had been broadcasting and flashed a gold plated "FCC" badge. He asked what that large FM antenna was doing on the roof and when the clerk shrugged, he said he wanted a copy of the Seattle Weekly article that featured FSR. Getting no leads, he wandered around on private property until he knocked on an exterior door that he heard music coming from that matched his scanner note for note. A few days later FSR was presented with a notice that it was in violation of the Federal Communications Act by operating without a license and failing to allow an inspection. FSR's crack staff of attorneys has responded to the FCC, stating that no license was presented because no license is available to low power broadcasters, and that because no license is available they have no right to inspect private property, and notes that the FCC was not responding to a complaint from another broadcaster, or any other complaint of any kind associated with FSR's use of the public's airwaves.

The guy from Kirkland in the cheap jacket huffed and went with his badges to the manager of the property and threatened draconian consequences unless his interpretation of the law was followed. The manager flipped and Free Seattle Radio now seeks a home.

Radio staff are searching for a mere 10' x 10' location with an electrical outlet, preferably on Capitol Hill, from which no illegal activity will take place because of new super hi-tech data transmission methods. For the moment, Seattle's only independent voice available on the air has reduced it's hours of operation and coverage significantly. Keep checking your tuners at 87.9, FM

Interested parties please contact Free Seattle Radio by calling (206) 233-1198 or e-mailing: fsr@speakeasy.org